IPL 2024 KKR vs RCB: Virat Kohli’s dismissal explained

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli’s dismissal against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) raised a huge brouhaha amidst fans and followers and left them divided. The RCB batter was dismissed for 18 off 7 balls in RCB’s chase of a mammoth 223.

Kolhi was caught and bowled by Harshit Rana off a high full toss and at first glance, it seemed that it was a no-ball for height. However, as Kohli played the ball well outside the crease and with the slower delivery dipping on the batter, it was deemed a fair delivery by the third umpire.

The new Hawk-Eye technology suggested that the ball would have passed Kohli at 0.92m from the ground if he was at his crease. Kohli’s waist height from the ground is 1.04m. However, as the batter was standing outside his crease, he made contact with the ball above his waist height.

The IPL introduced a new Hawk-Eye technology that measures the height of the ball as it passes the batter at the popping crease. It is then matched to the waist height (from the ground) of the batter, and the calculations of either a no-ball or a legitimate delivery are done as per the results.

Kohli and RCB skipper Faf du Plessis were engaged in an animated discussion, and Kohli seemed unhappy with the third umpire’s decision. He had a few words for the on-field umpires before leaving the field in angust. Both the batters felt it was a no-ball and Kolhi wasn’t out.

Speaking about it after the game, Du Plessis said the rules are rules and opined that in these situations there are always two sides to the coin. “Obviously, the rules are the rules. Virat and myself at that stage thought that possibly the ball was higher than his waist. I guess they measure it on the popping crease. In those situations, you’ll always have one team that’s happy and one team that doesn’t feel like it is quite the right decision. But that is how the game works,” the RCB captain said.